


The talk

by Augasta



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A little bit trashy, M/M, No Angst, Romance, Slight Hermione Bashing, but not too bad, harry and draco are in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 09:55:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27469102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Augasta/pseuds/Augasta
Summary: Hermione meets Draco and Harry for "The talk". But it's not what she had in mind.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Kudos: 47





	The talk

Draco apparated to the Leakey on a cold Friday evening. Granger had invited him and Harry for a little get-together, but Draco knew her better than that. This was the "meet the family of your boyfriend"-meeting and he already dreaded it. Harry assured him of her good intentions, but Draco wasn't a Slytherin for nothing. This could very well end very badly and he didn't want to be the cause of that. 

He formed the following conversation in his head, pondered about his responses to her questions and decided to be confident tonight. There was nothing she could tell him, that he hadn't heard before and he felt settled in his relationship with Harry. Compared to Voldemort, this was nothing.

He entered the Leakey on seven o'clock sharp and noted, that Harry wasn't there yet. Still caught up in work apparently, so he let his gaze wander to find Granger at the very end of the establishment in a secluded area. Courtesy of the owner, Draco supposed and made his way through the tables and smoothly avoided legs in his way. 

Arrived, he greeted her with a simple nod and shrugged of his coat and hat.

"Good evening, Granger," he said nonetheless. He didn't have to like her to be polite and Harry would appreciate his effort.

"It's Granger-Weasley actually," she snipped and Draco rolled his eyes. Trust her to be still as annoying as in school.

"Yes, apologies," he said, paused and added "Granger," with a smirk and noted with delight the little twitch of her lip.

"Just sit down, Malfoy," she said and she sounded tired. Draco shrugged again and secured the wand holster on his arm. Granger was fast with her wand, he remembered, and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of the Bad-Bogey-hex the Weaslette taught every student in the DA. If Granger noticed, she didn't comment.

"Have you already ordered?" Draco asked, voice still light with amusement and when she shook her head, signed for a waiter. 

"How have you been, Granger?" his next question was and sipped on his pint.

"Let's leave the pleasantries behind, shall we?" Hermione said icily and Draco had to admire that.

"Certainly, Granger. Ask away," he said and leaned back in his seat. Hermione narrowed her eyes suspiciously. 

"What are your intentions with Harry, Malfoy?" she asked and Draco bit back a smirk.

"Merlin, Granger, are you his mother? I'm sure, he'll be fine on his own," he said and sneered a bit. 

"Obviously he will. But it's curious, isn't it? You were on each other's throats through school and now you're dating?" Draco had to chuckle at that.

"Well, we're still on each other's throats. In more that one way," he said and took a sip. Hermione didn't seem to appreciate his humor, so his mood sobered a bit.

"It's not your business, what my intentions are with Potter. But if you must know, I immensely enjoy his company and I would be sad to see him go," he answered her question, but she didn't seem satisfied.

"If you ever hurt him.." Hermione threatened but Draco regards her with an almost bored expression.

"Grow up, Granger," he drawled, "It's unavoidable, that I'll hurt him. Just as he'll hurt me. Because we're Potter and Malfoy and we're human. You can't possibly expect, that I will shy away from confrontation just so that I won't hurt his feelings," he sneered and took satisfaction in the way Granger's head seemed to redden just like her husband's.

"He's a grown man, Granger. He's neither your child nor your responsibility. Let him make his choices. Merlin knows, he deserves that," he said dryly and this time Granger flushed from embarrassment. She wanted to argue, Draco noted as she opened and closed her mouth, unable to speak up.

"He'll appreciate, that you worry. But he won't appreciate your meddling. It's alright Granger. He will live without you there to motherhen him," Draco sneered again, but morphed his expression into something pleasant when he saw Harry enter the pub. He waved him to come over and blushed at the shiny smile Harry graced him with. Draco would never tire of that smile. 

Granger across the table grabbed her glass a little bit to tightly and didn't relax even as Harry dropped a kiss on her head. 

"Sorry, that I'm late," he apologized and Draco watched him fondly fumbling with his jacket.

"Seriously Potter, how can anyone be late with magic," he asked rhetorically and Harry's eyes were blinking with amusement.

"You'd be surprised, darling," he smirked, kissed him soundly on the mouth and didn't react to the sharp inhale on the other side of the table. 

"What did I miss?" Harry asked and nudged Draco with his hip to make room for himself. Draco looked expectantly at Hermione, but she couldn't hold his gaze.

"We talked about work," she settled with and Draco supressed a chuckle. Hermione glared at him and Harry looked between the two of them confused.

"Everything alright, 'Mione? Was he a prat?" Harry asked worriedly and Draco smacked his arm.

"I'm always a prat Potter. Granger is already used to that. But she isn't used to me being reasonable," he said and Hermione clenched her jaw. 

"Be a grown woman, Granger. Tell him what you told me," Draco provoked. Hermione was reminded in that moment, that Malfoy was in fact, not a nice person. He was petty and annoying and had no remorse throwing her under the bus. She hoped, four years after the war, that he had matured and maybe changed a bit, but this Malfoy could be still in a Slytherin uniform and call her a mudblood. 

"What was it?" Harry asked and this time, the searching gaze lay on her. It wasn't comfortable, she had to admit. She had to take a few deep breaths to steel herself for the conversation she didn't want to have.

"I wanted to see whether he had changed and if he was a good match for you," she answered honestly and Harry nodded, never leaving her eyes out of his focus.

"And?" 

"I don't think he was."

"What? Changed or good for me?" Harry pressed on and Hermione shifted in her seat.

"Both." 

Harry sighed and lay his head into his hands. Draco petted his back a little and then sat back, leaving him to deal with her.

"Hermione," he started, still speaking through his hands, "we fought a war, haven't we?" She nodded to agree.

"And we all sacrificed so much, haven't we?" Again a nod.

"We were hurt, angry and lonely and everything we had we gave to ensure the safety of everyone else," he said and Hermione had to choke back a sob. She knew, he thought about Sirius, Remus, Tonks and Fred.

"But. We aren't the only ones, who lost. Right?" he asked, this time sharply. Hermione nodded numbly, not trusting her voice.

"Everyone lost something and had to work hard to get it back. Some things come never back and I'll always feel sorry for that," he paused, sighed and spoke with more conviction, "but I'll never feel sorry for my choices that concern my happiness. I want to feel that, I want to have that and I deserve that. And if my happiness is with Draco, then there's no one who can question me on that," he said and Hermione didn't dare to argue with him. 

"He's helped me finding my own way and even if he's still _Malfoy_ ," - "Love you too, darling," Draco interrupted and Harry shushed him with a little smile, - "Even if he's still Malfoy, he's a significant part and reason of my happiness and I won't let you take that away from me, Hermione," he finished and it was quiet for very long moments. 

"I only want, what's best for you, Harry," she whispered with tears in her eyes and Harry gently took her hand.

"And I love you for that, 'Mione. But only I can decide, what's best for me. And at the moment and hopefully still for a long time, it will be Draco," he said, smiling at them both. Draco scoffed and pouted, but the flush high on his cheeks betrayed him.

"Can you live with that, Hermione?" Harry asked and she had to look at his face to see how serious he was about this. He wasn't smiling, just waiting patiently for her to answer. There was a little bit of fear in his eyes. He didn't want her to make him choose and for a little moment, Hermione hated herself for making him feel anxious about his place in her life. She vowed to never let him feel anxious about that ever again.

Hesitantly she grabbed his other hand.

"Of course, Harry. I'll support you. I will," she promised and a glance at Draco told her, that he had planned this. There was smug satisfaction but also honest contentment. Maybe he had changed. For a bit.

"I love you, you know?" Harry said and squeezed her hand.

"I love you too," she said and squeezed back.

She hoped, she never had to let him go. Even if she had to deal with Malfoy.


End file.
